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When I think of “ramen” in Singapore, a halal place usually doesn’t come to mind. At NOOSH Noodle Bar & Grill however, I think I’ve found one of my favourite non-pork versions.

The halal eatery serves up a fusion of Asian and Western dishes and is the brainchild of renowned Chef Ummi Abdullah, who also owns the popular Ambeng Cafe.

The restaurant can be found at a corner of the Esplanade, and is pretty packed on most days. A chic interior and a laid back vibe made for a very pleasant setting for lunch.

I started with an order of the Chicken Siracha With Cheese ($14.90), which looked irresistible. While it was priced as much as some of the mains, I was glad that the restaurant wasn’t scrimping on portion size.

Juicy pieces of boneless chicken is covered in a spicy sriracha sauce and mayonnaise, and then smothered with melted mozzarella cheese. This certainly isn’t something to order if you’re counting calories, but man, was it good.

Definitely order to share though, because it was actually quite filling.

There are several noodle options on the menu, but a picture beside the Tori Hanjuku Ramen ($14.90) cemented my choice. A steaming bowl of ramen was laden with ingredients.

The noodles were springy and thankfully didn’t soak up the broth too quickly. The miso-based soup is homemade and absolutely delicious with just the right amount of saltiness.

The highlight for me was the marinated chicken char siew that added sweetness to the dish. I’ll definitely be back for another bowl!

Another popular dish at NOOSH is the Smoked Duck Lemak Chili Padi Pasta ($18.90). While I didn’t enjoy this as much as the ramen, I could see the appeal. Lemak is a Malay coconut-based gravy and in this dish it’s served as pasta sauce.

The arugula felt a bit redundant but the lemak sauce went quite well with the slices of smoked duck. Let me warn you though, this dish is SPICY.

I went in thinking I could handle it (and my spice tolerance really isn’t that bad) but this was a challenge.

To cool down, I had to order a slice of the In-house Speciality Cake (served with ice cream) ($10.90). The types of cakes available rotate but I was glad that I managed to try the popular Ondeh-Ondeh Cake.

It was definitely worth all the calories. Layers of coconut, pandan and gula melaka culminated in fluffy and fragrant bites that paired perfectly with the huge scoop of vanilla ice-cream. This is a must-try!

NOOSH serves quality dishes at very reasonable prices for a restaurant that’s situated in town. My only gripe would be that they don’t serve tap water and actually charge $1 per glass (non-refillable).

I fully understand the intention to encourage drink sales, but maybe at least make it $1 for a refillable glass of tap water. Or perhaps agree to serve water alongside other drinks ordered, otherwise how are people going to tahan that plate of lemak chilli padi pasta?